Buenfil was last seen with Terry McDowell, a friend she had known for a few months. McDowell told police they were in the Ocala National Forest doing drugs when his truck broke down. He said Buenfil went to find help, but that was the last time he saw her.

Since then, crews have scoured the forest. Corena Adkins, a friend of Buenfil’s, walked miles looking for any clue -- but found nothing.

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A FAMILY FEARS THEY MAY NEVER KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO A MISSING LOCAL MOTHER. THE MAN WHO MAY HAVE HELD THE KEY TO THE CASE IS NOW DEAD. SHE VANISHED IN DECEMBER OF 2011, LAST SEEN IN THE OCALA NATIONAL FOREST. TONIGHT WE LEARNED THE ONLY PERSON OF INTEREST, TERRY McDOWELL, HAS DIED IN A POSSIBLE METH LAB EXPLOSION. WHAT DID THEY TELL YOU TONIGHT? THEY'RE HEART BROKEN. THE GIRL WAS LAST SEEN ALIVE IN THE OCALA NATIONAL FOREST AND NOW THE ONLY PERSON OF INTEREST IN HER DISAPPEARANCE HAS DIED. THEY FEAR THEY MAY NEVER GET THE ANSWERS THEY NEED. IT'S BEEN MORE THAN A YEAR SINCE THE MOTHER OF THREE VANISHED AND STILL, NO ANSWERS. NOW, THE ONLY PERSON WHO MAY HAVE HAD ANSWERS, 52-YEAR-OLD TERRY McDOWELL, IS DEAD. LACY'S MOTHER-IN-LAW, CINDY FOX, FEARS THE CASE MAY GO UNSOLVED. IF HE DID HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH WHAT HAPPENED TO LACI, WE MIGHT NOT EVER KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO LACI. IF HE TOOK IT TO HIS GRAVE WITH HIM, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? WESH 2 OBTAINED THIS REPORT, SAYING DEPUTIES BELIEVED McDOWELL WAS COOKING METH IN HIS HOME IN MARION COUNTY LAST WEEK WHEN A FIRE ERUPTED AND KILLED HIM. A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY KARMA, KARMA, KARMA, WHAT GOES AROUND, COMES AROUND. BUT TO ME, THIS IS NOT JUSTICE. DEPUTIES CALLED McDOWELL A PERSON OF INTEREST IN LACI'S DISAPPEARANCE FROM THE GET-GO. HE WAS THE LAST PERSON SEEN WITH HER IN THE OCALA NATIONAL FOREST WHERE THE TWO WENT TO DO DRUGS IN DECEMBER OF 2011. McDOWELL TOLD DEPUTIES HIS TRUCK GOT STUCK AND LACI WALKED TO GET HELP. SHE WAS NEVER SEEN AGAIN. IT'S NOT EVEN REALLY ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED. I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHERE SHE IS BECAUSE I DON'T CARE WHAT'S HAPPENED. I KNOW IT WASN'T GOOD. I'VE HEARD STORIES AFTER STORIES AFTER STORIES AND THEY GET MORE GRUESOME EVERY DAY. I DON'T CARE WHAT HAPPENED ANYMORE. I KNOW IT WAS BAD. I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHERE SHE IS. DEPUTIES SAY THEY DON'T KNOW HOW McDOWELL'S DEATH WILL IMPACT THE CASE. DETECTIVES INTERVIEWED McDOWELL MANY TIMES OVER THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF AND SAY HE ALWAYS COOPERATED. BUT IF DEPUTIES WANTED TO INTERVIEW HIM AGAIN, HE WON'T BE THERE. HE WAS THE ONLY PERSON OF INTEREST. AND HE'S GONE. SO WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? I DON'T KNOW. I'VE BEEN SO SICK ALL DAY LONG. LACI'S FAMILY BELIEVES THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE OUT THERE THAT KNOWS WHAT HAPPENED TO LACI BESIDES TERRY McDOWELL. THEY'RE ASKING ANYONE THAT KNOWS ANYTHING WITH ANY SORT OF INFORMATION TO COME FORWARD.